‘I’ve asked if I can work from home to be with Abby while she has surgery on her knee’

Taryn Bailie (49), from Bangor, has requested to work from home while her dog undergoes knee surgery. She lives with her children Chloe (16) and Jack (14), and two chocolate lab sisters, Elsa and Abby.

She is currently on furlough from her role at an estate agent, but is keen to return part-time.

“I’ve always had dogs. Elsa is nearly three and Abby is her sister, she was one in May,” she says.

“I knew something wasn’t right with Abby (right). She was diagnosed with bilateral hip dysplasia in January and was on pain relief and having hydrotherapy, but I knew there was something else. She wasn’t responding as she should be.”

Taryn took Abby back to the vet in April for further X-rays and she was diagnosed with bilateral patellar luxation, while both the kneecaps in her hind legs kept popping out.

“She was quite lame and you could actually see the kneecap coming out and in. She’s on a lot of medication for it and is still in a lot of pain,” she says.

The plan was for Abby to undergo surgery on her left leg on June 25 and to have further surgery on her right leg once she recovered.

“She’s still quite lame in the leg and not responding as well as she should. As well as that, she doesn’t have the support of her right leg because the knee is constantly popping out and in,” Taryn adds.

“She should be using the leg more and I just don’t know what I’m going to do next with her, but either way I need to be here.

“I’m sleeping downstairs with her, she can’t be left alone. We’re doing our best for her but it’s really hard to watch.” Despite the pain Abby is in, Taryn says it’s clear that the dogs have enjoyed having everyone at home during lockdown.

“They’re both loving it,” she says. “The first week or two they found it a bit strange because they weren’t sleeping for half the day any more. But they got over it and now they’re like shadows, following us everywhere.

“We enjoyed being with them too, but I wish it had been under happier circumstances so Abby could have enjoyed us being here.”

Taryn says she has asked if she can work from home for a while.

“The kids are great, but it’s a big responsibility and it would be a lot for them to manage. There’s quite a lot of running back and forward to the vet with her, so she really needs me there,” she says.